Office-support services

Tender description

PIAB awarded a contract for business process support services under a framework agreement in 2014. The service provider provides a catalogue of operational and technical services which are critical to PIAB's compliance with its statutory duties under the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003 relating to the assessment of claims for compensation. The contract was extended for 1 year in 2019 and is now due to expire in October 2020. PIAB is intending to extend the contract for a further period of 12 months from the date of expiry and to make certain other modifications to the contract. These include changes to the payment model under the contract and a reduction in the volume of services provided. The need for the changes has arisen in large part because of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The value of the extension is estimated in the region of EUR 940 000 (excluding VAT). The figure of EUR 940 000 set out at II.1.7) and at V.2.4) below is the estimated value of the extension. PIAB awarded a contract for a service centre solution and business process support services under a framework agreement in 2014. The framework agreement was advertised in the Official Journal in 2013 (ref 2013/S 148-257708). A contract award notice was published on 19 December 2014 following award of the contract to the service provider (ref 2014/S 245-432562). A modification notice was published on 13 September 2019 following the extension of the contract in 2019 (ref 2019/S 177-432067). The service provider appointed to the contract provides PIAB with a catalogue of operational and technical services. These services are critical to PIAB's compliance with its statutory duties under the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003 in relation to the assessment of claims for compensation for personal injuries suffered by people in motor accidents, work place accidents and public liability accidents. PIAB entered into the contract with the service provider in October 2014. PIAB extended the contract in October 2019 for a period of 12 months. The contract is due to expire in October 2020. PIAB is publishing this transparency notice to alert economic operators of its intention to modify the contract in accordance with Regulation 72 of the European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016 (the Regulations). The modification will extend the contract for an additional 12 months. The need for the extension is due principally to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the onset of the pandemic, PIAB has experienced severe disruption to its business. There has been a significant and unprecedented drop in demand for the services provided under the contract and there is unforeseen volatility and uncertainty in the demand for services going forward. The pandemic has also resulted in delays to PIAB’s change management programme and the digital transformation project that PIAB was engaged in prior to the current crisis. The procurement of a new business process outsourcing contract has also been delayed and it is extremely difficult for PIAB to scope any new contract in the current circumstances, given the volatility in the number of claims requiring processing and the ongoing uncertainty as to the demand for services going forward. PIAB considers that it would put the organisation at significant financial and business risk to go to market at this point. In addition to the extension to the contract's term, changes to the payment structure under the contract are envisaged to allow flexibility to be built in going forward (the contract is currently based on a fixed price model which is no longer fit for purpose given the severe fluctuations in the volume of services provided). A reduction in the overall volume of the services to be provided is also envisaged. PIAB considers that the proposed extension and other modifications are permitted under the Regulations and is publishing this notice in accordance with Regulation 11(3) of the European Communities (Public Authorities' Contracts) (Review Procedures) Regulations 2010. The proposed modifications to the contract will not be made before the end of a period of 14 days beginning with the day after the day of publication of this notice.